Oil check for piston rings



March 25, 1952 s. s. SLYK 2,590,273

on. CHECK FOR PISTON RINGS Filed Feb. 18, 1946 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Mar. 25, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OIL CHECK FOR PISTON RINGS Stanley S. Slyk, Chicago, Ill. Application February 18, 1946, Serial No. 648,413

19 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in oil checks.

More particularly the present invention relates to means for minimizing the leakage of oil past the piston of an internal combustion motor. The piston of an internal combustion motor is ordinarily provided with piston rings, one or more of which are commonly designed to minimize the leakage of oil from the crank case into the cylinder.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved oil check adapted to co-operate with a piston ring to minimize the leakage of oil past the said piston ring.

A further object is to provide improved means adapted to be located inwardly of a piston ring and having the dual function of minimizing the flow of oil past said piston ring and of biasing said piston ring outwardly against the cylinder wall.

A further object is to provide an improved all check adapted to be associated with a piston ring in the internal combustion motor which oil check i effective in operation, though simple and sturdy in construction.

A further object is to provide an improved oil check adapted to be used in combinationwith a piston ring, which may be readily inserted into the piston ring groove and which in service is efiective in checking the leakage of oil past the said piston ring.

A further object is to provide a resilient oil check adapted to be located easily within a piston ring groove but which, in service, will resiliently contact the wall of said groove which are disposed in right angular relationship with the axis of movement of the corresponding piston and will check the passage of oil past the ring in said groove.

A further object is to provide an improved oil check which is simple and sturdy in construction, is easy to install, and well adapted to meet the needs of ordinary ervice.

Further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

Referring to the drawings- Figure l is a view in sectional elevation showing a piston located within a cylinder wall, which piston is provided with an embodiment of the present invention; v

Figure 2 is a view on an enlarged scale of a portion of the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of anoil check embodying the principle of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a view in side elevation of the oil check illustrated in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, but illustrating an oil check having a narrower opening for the passage of oil;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 3 but illustrating a slight modification; and

Figure '7 is a view similar to Figure 2 but illustrating another modification.

The numeral l0 indicates a cylinder wall. Mounted for reciprocation within said cylinder wall is the piston H, which piston may be provided with a plurality of circumferential grooves or channels for the reception of piston rings.

For purposes of convenience in the description of the present invention, the axis of reciprocation of the piston II will be considered to be vertical though it will be understood, of course, that this axis may be at any angle in relation to the vertical. A groove adapted to receive a piston ring is indicated by the numeral 12. Said groove I 2 has the outwardly facing circumferential wall l3 (which will be referred to as the groove bottom wall) bounded by the groove upper wall It and the groove lower wall l5. Within said groove [2 is located the piston ring l6 which, according to usual practice, is split in its perimeter and is provided with the lap joint H. In practice, there is commonly a certain amount of play of the piston ring IS in the groove 12 in a direction axially of the piston. In a motor in which the cylinder wall is true and cylindrical there will be no appreciable movement of the piston ring in a radial direction. However, as the cylinder wall wears in service, it becomes conical in hape, being larger toward the combustion chamber, that is, toward the top as the parts are viewed in Figure 1. Accordingly in a worn motor there is a reciprocating action of the piston ring 16 in a radial direction, it being noted that the piston ring, being split, is biased outwardly by its own resiliency. Moreover, the piston ring, according to commonv practice, will be urged outwardly in a radial direction by an expander spring.

Located between the wall l3 of the groove l2 and the piston ring [6 is the oil check I8 which embodies the principles of the present invention. Said oil check, as illustrated in Figure 3, is in the form of a ring split in its perimeter and provided with a lap joint as will be described presently. Said oil check embodies a peripheral wall biased radially outwardly against the inner surface of the corresponding piston ring l6.

Figure 2 represents the oil check l8 under conditions of service in which the upper and lower edges, designated 19 and 20, respectively, are located in engagement with the groove upper wall [4 and the groove lower wall l5, respectively, of the groove I2. As the parts are illustrated in Figure 2, the piston ring I6 is located in engagement with the lower wall i5 of the groove II. The amount of play between the piston ring I6 in the groove I2 is shown exaggerated in Figure 2.

The oil check I8, in its biased or normal condition, should have an axial overall dimension something less than the distance between the walls I4 and I5 of the groove I2 so that said oil check I8 may be readily inserted into said groove. However, when the piston ring I5 is located in position in the groove I2 radially outwardly of the oil check I8, said oil check I8 will be distorted to reduce the radial dimension of the peripheral wall thereof which action will result in the lengthening of portions of said wall axially to cause the edges I9 and 20 to engage firmly against the walls I4 and I5, respectively, of the groove I2.

The function of the oil check I8 in expanding axially when its peripheral wall is reduced radially will result from the features which will now be described. A

Referring to Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5, the oil check I 8 is made up of an approximately cylindrical portion 2 I. The lower portion of the oil check I8 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced scallops 22-22 connected by intervening circumferential portions 23-23 which scallops 22,-22 are swedged inwardly toward the axis of the oil check I 8. In other words, the scallops 22-22 are offset from the approximately cylindrical portion 2 I, being shown in Figure 2 as inclined to said cylindrical portion-2|. The lower extremities of the scallops 22-22 are adapted to contact against the wall I3 of the corresponding groove. It will be noted that intermediate of the openings 24-24 are the approximately cylindrical portions 25-25. It will be noted that in the structure illustrated in Figure. 4 the approximately cylindrical portion 2 I, the portions 25-2 5, and the portions 23-23 provide segments of a circle disposed intermediate of the openings 24-24. The radius of each scallop 22 at the bottom thereof is approximately equal to the radius of the cylindrical portion 21. Ordinarily the entire oil check I8 will be made of resilient material. In any case, the portion thereof below the openings 24-24 should be resilient. Since the scallops 22-22 are offset from the cylindrical portion 2I, being inclined with reference thereto in Figure 2 and since the overall height of the oil check at the regions of said scallops is the maximum height of said oil check, the result is that when said scallops aremoved toward alignment with the cylindrical portion 2I there will be an increase in the vertical overall dimension or height of the oil check; that is, as the scallops 22-22 are moved toward the axis of the piston, the ver= tical dimension of the oil check at the regions symmetrical with said scallops is increased over the vertical dimension at the regions 23-25.

Expressed in still different words, the peripheral wall of the oil check I8, by reason of the inwardly swedged scallops 22-22 and by reason of the openings 24-24, is collapsible in a radial direction, the'height between the edges I9 and 28 depending upon the amount ofthis variation in radial dimension: No great exactness in the dimensions of the oil check I8 is necessary in view of the fact that the wall buckle and change its contour to conform to the check permits adjustment.

By reference to Figure 3, it will be noted that by the numeral 3|.

one end ofthe split wall of the oil check [8 is provided with the lip 26 which may lie in substantially the circumference occupied by the portions 25-25 of the oil check. The other extremity of the oil check is provided with the lip 21 having the inwardly turned end 28. Said lip 2'1 and turned end 28 are adapted to underlie the lip 25. Said lip 21, it will be noted, is offset inwardly from a portion 25a corresponding in circumferential dimension to about half of the corresponding dimension to each of the portions 25-2 5.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure4, openings 24-24 of a considerable dimension in a vertical direction have been illustrated. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 5, the vertical dimensions or" these openings have been very considerably reduced. According to the structure illustrated in Figure 5, slits 29-29 perform the functions of the openings 24-24 of Figure 4. Said slits provide sumcient openings for the passage of oil for many types of installation.

Preferably the slots 24-24 (Figures 2 and 4) and the slits 29 (Figure 5) will be symmetrically disposed alonga circumferential line spaced from the upper edge I9, a distance about one-third of the height of the oil check I 8.

In the modification illustrated in Figure 6, the scallops 22-22 are interrupted intermediate of their lengths to provide cantilever spring portions 30-30 which perform functions analogous to those of scallops 22-22 in engaging the wall I 3 of the groove I 2 to cause the lengthening of the oil check axially to force the upper and lower edges I9 and 20 into engagement with the upper wall I4 and the lower wall I5 of the groove l2.

According to the modification illustrated in Figure 7, the portions or scallops of the oil cheek below the opening 24-24 may be approximately cylindrical in contour, one of these approximately cylindrical portions or scallops being indicated Said portions 3! include the inclined parts located between the openings 24 Said portions or scallops 3|, near the lower edges thereof, are provided with the outstruck bosses 32 adapted to engage the cylindrical wall I3 of the groove I2.

The mode of operation of the various illustra tions of the present invention is substantially follows:

The oil check I8 will have a biased overall di mension between this lower edge 20 and this upper edge I9 of a value less than the distance between the upper wall I4 and the lower wall I5 of the groove I2 so that said oil check may be readily mounted within said groove. When the piston ring I6 has been inserted and the piston II is mounted within the cylinder wall I9, the wall of the oil check I8 will be decreased in a radial direction whereby the dimension between the edge 20 at the regions of the scallops 22-22 or the scallops 33-33 and the edge I9 will be lengthened, resulting in the firm engagement of said edges with the bottom wall I5 and the top wall I4, respectively, of the groove I2 and the close engagement of the cylindrical portion 2! with the adjacent surface of the piston ring I0. The cylindrical portion 2I will, regardless of any play of the piston ring IS in an axial direction, act effectively to prevent the passage of oil past the piston ring at the top of said ring. Any oil collecting between the oil check It and the wall I3 of the groove I2 will be permitted to pass through the openings 24-24 (Figure 4) or the openings 29-29 (Figure 5).

Though certain and preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. It is intended to cover all such modifications that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a cylinder wall, a piston therein, said piston having an annular groove, a piston ring in said groove, an annular oil check located in the annular space between the circumferential wall of said groove and the adjacent side of said piston ring, said oil check being resilient and having a biased overall dimension axially of said piston such that it will fit readily into said groove, said oil check having an approximately cylindrical portion adapted to engage the adjacent side of said piston ring and the adjacent side of said groove, said oil check having portions offset relative to said cylindrical portion, parts at least of said offset portions being inclined relative to the axis of said piston, said oil check being expansible into firm engagement with the top and bottom walls of said groove when pressure is exerted radially upon said oil check between said circumferential wall and said piston ring.

2. In combination, a cylinder wall, a piston therein, said piston having an annular groove, a piston ring in said groove, an annular oil check located in the annular space between the circumferential wall of said groove and the adjacent side of said piston ring, said oil check being resilient and having a biased overall dimension axially of said piston such that it will fit readily into said groove, said oil check having an approximately cylindrical portion adapted to engage the adjacent side of said piston ring and the adjacent side of said groove, said oil check having portions offset relative to said cylindrical portion, parts at least of said offset portions being inclined relative to the axis of said piston, said oil check being expansible into firm engagement with the top and bottom walls of said groove when pressure is exerted radially upon said oil check between said circumferential wall and said piston, said oil check being split in its perimeter, the ends of said oil check providing a lap joint.

3. In combination, a piston having a circumferential piston ring groove, a split piston ring in said groove and an annular oil check located in said groove inside of said piston ring, said oil check comprising a member having an approximately cylindrical portion adapted to engage the top wall of said groove and the adjacent wall of said ring and inwardly extending offset resilient portions adapted to engage the circumferential wall and the bottom wall of said groove, said oil check being biased to a dimension axially of said piston such that said oil check will fit easily into said groove, parts at least of said offset portions being inclined relative to the axis of said piston, said oil check being expansible axially of said piston in response to radial compression of the wall of said oil check whereby the edge portions of oil check will engage firmly against the top and bottom walls of said groove, while the cylindrical portion thereof engages said piston ring.

4. An oil check comprising a ring member, a portion adjacent to one edge thereof being approximately cylindrical, the portion thereof adjacent to the opposite edge being resilient and having parts thereof inclined inwardly in circumferentially spaced scallops and adapted to engage the circumferential wall and the diametrical walls of a piston ring groove, said oil check at said inwardly inclined portion having at least as great a height as the overall axial height of said oil check whereby when said inwardly inclined portion is moved toward alignment with said cylindrical portion the overall height of said 5 check is increased.

5. An oil check comprising a ring member, a portion adjacent to one edge thereof being approximately cylindrical, the portion thereof adjacent to the opposite edge being resilient and 10 having parts thereof inclined inwardly in circumferentially spaced scallops and adapted to engage the circumferential wall of a piston ring groove, the region between each of said inclined parts and said cylindrical portion being defined by 5 circumferentially disposed openings, said oil check at said inwardly inclined portion having at least as great a height as the overall axial height of said oil check whereby when said inwardly inclined portion is moved toward alignment with said cylindrical portion the overall height of said check is increased.

6. An oil check comprising a ring member, a portion adjacent to one edge thereof being approximately cylindrical, the portion thereof adjacent to the opposite edge being resilient and having parts thereof inclined inwardly in circumferentially spaced scallops and adapted to engage the circumferential wall of a piston ring groove, the region between each of said inclined parts v and said cylindrical portion being defined by circumferentially disposed openings located approximately one-third of the height of said oil check measured downwardly from the edge of the circular portion thereof, said oil check at said inwardly inclined portion having at least as great a height as the overall axial height of said oil check whereby when said inwardly inclined portion is moved toward aligmnent with said cylindrical portion the overall height of said m check is increased.

7. An oil check comprising a split ring member, a portion adjacent to one edge thereof being approximately cylindrical, the portion thereof adjacent to the opposite edge being resilient and 5 being inclined inwardly with respect to the axis of said ring member at regions spaced about said ring member, said ring member at the regions of said inclined portions being at least equal in height to the axial overall height of said oil check 5 whereby when said inwardly inclined portion is moved toward alignment with said cylindrical portion, the overall height of said oil check is increased.

8. An oil check comprising a split ring member,

a portion adjacent to one edge thereof being approximately cylindrical for close engagement with the inner surface of a piston ring, the portion thereof adjacent to the opposite edge being resilient and being inclined inwardly progressively with respect to the axis of said ring member in scallops at regions spaced about said ring, the regions between said inclined parts and said cylindrical portion being defined by circumferentially disposed openings.

55 9. An oil check comprising a split ring member,

a portion adjacent to one edge thereof being approximately cylindrical for close engagement with the inner surface of a piston ring, the portion thereof adjacent to the opposite edge being 0 resilient and being inclined inwardly with respect to the axis of said ring member in scallops at regions spaced about said ring, the regions between said inclined parts and said cylindrical portion being defined by circumferentially disposed openings, said inwardly inclined portions,

adjacent to their free edges being provided with inwardly presented bosses.

10. An oil check comprising a split ring member, a portion adjacent to one edge thereof being approximately cylindrical, the portion thereof adjacent to the opposite edge being resilient and having a part thereof inclined inwardly with respect to the axis of said ring member in scallops at regions spaced about said ring member, the regions between said approximately cylindrical portion and said opposite edge being provided with circumferentially spaced openings registering with said inwardly inclined portions.

11. An oil check comprising a split ring member, a portion adjacent to one edge thereof being approximately cylindrical, the portion thereof adjacent to the opposite edge being resilient and having parts thereof inclined inwardly with respect to the axis of said ring member in scallops at regions spaced about said ring member, the regions between said approximately cylindrical portion and said opposite edge being provided with circumferentially spaced openings registering with said inwardly inclined portions, said openings being located closer to said first mentioned edge than to said opposite edge of said ring member.

12. An oil check comprising a split ring member, a portion adjacent to one edge thereof being approximately cylindricaL. the portion thereof adjacent to the opposite edge being resilient and having parts thereof inclined inwardly with respect to the axis of said ring member in scallops at regions spaced about said ring member, said inwardly swedged portions being cantilever members.

13. A combined oil check and expander for a piston ring comprising a split ring member, the portion adjacent to one edge thereof being approximately cylindrical whereby to conform to the inner surface of a piston ring, the portion thereof adjacent to the opposite edge having parts thereof inclined with respect to the axis of said ring member in scallops at regions spaced about said ring, said combined oil check and expander being resilient.

14. An oil check comprising a ring member, a portion adjacent to one edge thereof being approximately cylindrical, the region thereof adjacent to the opposite edge being resilient and including portions inclined inwardly, said last mentioned portions being adapted to engage the circumferential wall of a piston ring groove, said oil check being expansible axially when said inwardly inclined portions are moved toward alignment with said cylindrical portion.

15. An oil check comprising a split ring member, one edge portion thereof being approxi mately cylindrical for close engagement with the inner surface of a piston ring, the opposite edge portion being resilient and including spaced parts offset inwardly at regions located about said ring, said member at the regions of said offset parts being open between said offset parts and said cylindrical portion and being at least equal in height to the axial overall height of said oil check, said offset parts being inclined relative to the axis of said cylindrical portion.

16. An oil check comprising a split ring member, a portion adjacent to one edge thereof being approximately cylindrical for close engagement with the inner surface of a piston ring, the region thereof adjacent to the opposite edge being resilient and including portions inclined inwardly with respect to the axis of said ring member at spaced regions located about said ring, said memher at the regions of said inclined portions being at least equal in height to the axial overall height of said oil check whereby when said inwardly inclined portions are moved toward alignment with said cylindrical portion, the overall height of said oil check is increased.

17. An oil check comprising a split ring member, a portion adjacent to one edge thereof being approximately cylindrical for close engagement with the inner surface of a piston ring, the region thereof adjacent to the opposite edge being resilient and including portions inclined inwardly with respect to the axis of said ring member at spaced regions located about said ring, said member at the regions of said inclined portions being at least equal in height to the axial overall height of said oil check whereby when said inwardly inclined portions are moved toward alignment with said cylindrical portion, the overall height of said oil check is increased.

18. An oil check comprising a split ring member, a portion adjacent to one edge thereof being approximately cylindrical, the region thereof adjacent to the opposite edge being resilient and including portions inclined inwardly with respect to the axis of said ring member at spaced regions located about said ring, said member at the regions of said inclined portions being at least equal in height to the axial overall height of said oil check whereby when said inwardly inclined portions are moved toward alignment with said cylindrical portion, the overall height of said oil check is increased, said oil check being provided with circumferentially spaced openings registering with said inclined portions.

19. An oil check comprising a split ring member, one edge portion thereof being approximately cylindrical, the opposite edge portion being resilient and including spaced parts offset inwardly at regions located about said ring, said member at the regions of said offset parts being open between Said offset parts and said cylindrical portion and being at least equal in height to the axial overall height of said oil check, said inwardly offset parts including parts inclined relative to the axis of said cylindrical portion and being of bowed conformation connected at their ends to the material of said oil check but interrupted at their intermediate points to provide cantilever members projecting generally circumferentially to said oil check.

STANLEY S. SLYK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,239,726 Bauer et al Sept. 11, 1917 1,439,845 Seib Dec. 26, 1922 1,640,155 Low Aug. 23, 1927 1,720,583 Walsh July 9, 1929 1,766,498 Frank June 24, 1930 1,773,878 Shannon Aug. 26, 1930 2,006,901 Maller July 2, 1935 2,021,830 Borgfeldt Nov. 19, 1935 2,044,845 Guerriero June 23, 1936 2,052,077 Bristow Aug. 25, 1936 2,125,766 Carlisle Aug. 2, 1938 2,173,190 Wilkening Sept. 19, 1939 2,269,944 Kurth Jan. 13, 1942 2,294,177 Halford Aug. 25, 1942 2,321,791 Beardsley June 15, 1943 

